You Never Know
by tropicalgirlie
Summary: This is an ongoing story of how Peter and Olivia's relationship might build if thrown into a drastic situation.  First few stories are rated K, but will work their way into M.
1. Chapter 1

Peter sped through the red light with no concern to the honking horns around him. He pressed harder on the accelerator as he neared Boston Memorial Hospital. All he wanted to do was to see Olivia, to touch her and know that she was still alive.

She had been missing for three months three weeks when Peter received a phone call from Charlie that Olivia had been found. She was dumped unconscious in an alley in downtown Boston, with no clothes, save for a hospital gown, and no identification. She was unconscious when they brought her to the hospital, and when she finally came to, she asked for one thing: Peter.

Rachel and Ella were in California and couldn't get a flight in for three days, and Olivia didn't really have anyone else, so that left Peter. He pictured her face for the millionth time in his mind as he sped into the hospital parking lot. He got out and walked as quickly as possible without actually running towards the door. The receptionist pointed him in the direction of the ICU and within several minutes Peter was standing outside Olivia's room talking to her doctor.

"Miss Dunham was severely dehydrated when she was found, and severely malnourished. You'll notice this in her appearance when you see her. She has full recollection of everything that happened to her during her abduction." The doctor paused a moment, "Let's go somewhere more private to finish this conversation." Peter's stomach lurched at this, plus the look on the doctor's face caused him to feel nauseous. He followed the doctor into a lounge a few doors down from Olivia's room. The doctor motioned to a table, and Peter sat down, the doctor sat across from him. "Mr. Bishop, what I am about to tell you will be difficult to hear, but Olivia wanted you to know everything that has happened before you see her. During her abduction she was repeatedly raped, by several different men. She has been tested for HIV and many other STD's, all tests of which have come back negative, so we are thankful for that. Many tests were done to her during her abduction. We see evidence of several spinal taps, and many different psycho-electrical tests. She will recover from all of this with much time, rehabilitation and counseling, but there is one thing that she will need much support with." He stopped, and looked at Peter to gauge his reaction.

Peter felt like he could vomit. The thought of men abusing her, touching her the way a lover should, the way that he should. He felt bile rise up in his throat, knowing what had happened to her, that he couldn't protect her. He knew she must be so upset, not being able to protect herself as well. He took a deep breath, afraid of what the doctor was going to say next. What could be worse than sexual assault?

"Mr. Bishop, when we did tests on Miss Dunham, we found out that she is pregnant. Since she informs us that she had no other partners before her abduction, we must assume that one of her captors impregnated her. We've determined that she is 13 weeks along, and although termination is still an option, it's a risky one being this far along. We haven't discussed in great lengths all of her options yet, but she will need serious counseling when she is released from the hospital. No matter what her choice, this will not be an easy road. Do you have any questions before you go see her?" The doctor furrowed his brow, and Peter could tell that he felt for Olivia. Peter wanted to scream and cry and run all at the same time. More than anything though, he just needed to see the woman he loved. He rubbed his forehead with both hands, then looked up at the doctor.

"No, no questions. I just want to see Olivia." The doctor gave a solemn nod, then stood and led Peter out the door. Once they reached her room, Peter alone went inside.

When Peter walked in his breath caught in his throat. Olivia lay in the bed with her eyes shut, and had her heart monitor not been beeping, Peter would have thought her dead. Her hair was matted and crusted with blood. Her face was gaunt and covered with bruises of varying colors, ranging from raging reddish purple to yellow/brown. She had a cut over her right eye that had already been stitched up with about six stitches. She had a small cut in the left side of her bottom lip and various scratches across her face. Her arms were above the covers and they sported the same bruises as her face. Peter choked on bile when he saw that many of the bruises were in the shape of finger marks. Her left wrist was in a splint and her hands were covered in bruises and scratches. This lifted Peter's spirits for a split second knowing that she fought her captors tooth and nail. His eyes traveled over her stomach briefly, but he saw no difference in her appearance. He looked again at her face, and then walked over to the bed. There was a chair next to the right side so he sat there. He wanted to badly to touch her, but didn't want to hurt her, so he put his hand next to hers and stroked his thumb gently over the top of her hand. He felt a tear spill down his left cheek and he closed his eyes. After several minutes he lay his head down next to her hand. Just then he felt her fingers move and he jerked his head up. She opened her eyes and looked over at him. This made him smile despite his sadness for her.

"Peter." Her voice was scratchy and dry, but the sound of his name was the best in the world to him at that moment. He reached up to trace his thumb across her cheek.

"Hey Liv." She closed her eyes then opened them and looked back at him.

"Can you help me sit up?" He slid an arm behind her back to support her weight, then fluffed the pillow behind her as she scooted up. He noticed the flash of pain cross her face, and wished he could be gentler. She saw the look on his face. "It's ok Peter. I'm just sore more than anything. I'm fine." She smiled at him, and although she looked battered and worn, her smile was genuine, and Peter soaked it in. He scooted his chair closer to her bed, and she turned slightly to face him. "So you spoke to my doctor?" Her voice sounded far away and scared. Peter swallowed his heart out of his throat and answered.

"Yes. He told me everything. Olivia I'm so sorry. I don't…" he couldn't finish. Honestly, he didn't know what to say to comfort her. He was still trying to comfort himself, but felt selfish at the same time.

Olivia put a hand on her stomach, and Peter watched as she unconsciously rubbed it, as if comforting the small life growing inside her. "I don't know how I'm going to do this." She closed her eyes. Peter placed his hand on top of hers.

"Olivia, whatever you decide will be the right decision for you, and you have lots of people supporting you." He didn't know how far he could push her with talking about it, but decided that she was strong enough. She's always been strong. "Do you know what you plan to do?" When she looked back at him, he smiled at her. A tear escaped her swollen right eye.

"I'm keeping it. I've always been pro choice, but from the second the doctor told me I was pregnant something changed inside me. I'm still pro choice, but I couldn't have an abortion for myself. I actually imagine this tiny baby growing inside me, and I feel responsible for it. At least something good can come of all of this." She reached down and squeezed Peter's hand and fresh tears sprung to her eyes.

"What is it?" Peter looked at her with concern, amazed at her courage but curious at her tears.

"I just don't know if I can be a mom. I might give it up for adoption. I just don't know what to do." Tears overtook her, and Peter stood up and sat down at the edge of her bed. She leaned into him and he cradled her head against him.

"Hey, it'll be ok. How about you just worry about getting better right now, and make the harder decisions later."

"I just don't know…" she leaned into his touch again, and just then the doctor walked in.

"Ah, Olivia, you're awake. Mind if we do a quick exam?" He walked in and a nurse came in with him. She pulled a portable ultrasound machine.

Peter got up to leave, but Olivia squeezed his hand. He looked down at her and her eyes pleaded with him to stay. He stood next to the bed and held her hand. The nurse checked her vitals while the doctor asked Olivia questions about her pain. He gave the ok for solid foods, and finally the nursed pulled the blanket down and lifted up Olivia's gown so her stomach was exposed.

Peter saw how emaciated she was at the site of her hip bones sticking out over the top of her panties. He could also make out the tiny bulge of her normally flat stomach. Normally she wouldn't have been showing, but because of how wasted away she was, he could just barely see it. Peter squeezed her hand as the nurse turned on the ultrasound machine. After squirting the gel on her stomach, the nurse began to probe her stomach with the machine.

At first Peter didn't know what to make of the blurry imagine until the nurse focused on one little spot, and he saw the telltale sign of life. The tiny little heart beating. Emotions flooded through his body, and he felt her hand squeeze his tighter. He looked down at her face looking at the screen and a tear escaped her cheek. The silence was broken by the nurse.

"Heartbeat is strong. We were worried because of your malnutrition over the last few weeks, but the baby looks really healthy." She looked over at Olivia and Olivia smiled at her. Then Olivia looked up at Peter, and Peter smiled down at her with such happiness that the thought of how she came to be this way simply drifted out of her mind. Peter was so happy for her, and seeing that heartbeat on the monitor put feelings in Olivia she didn't even know she had in her. Suddenly the thought of giving this child up seemed ridiculous. It was her baby, and no one could take that away from her. The nurse took a few measurements, then turned the ultrasound machine off. She wiped the remaining gel off of Olivia's stomach, then lowered her gown. Peter helped her pull the covers back up. The doctor wrote some notes down in her chart and looked back to Olivia.

"We'll set you up with an OB appointment once you're strong enough to leave, but we put your due date at November 12th. Get some rest Olivia, I'll be back tomorrow." The doctor smiles and left the room. Peter sat back down next to Olivia on the bed.

"Wow. That was amazing. I didn't know you could see all of that this early in a pregnancy." Without thinking he put his hand on Olivia's stomach. She looked up at him and smiled. Her eyes were filled with emotion, and he read it perfectly; pride.

"Peter." She smiled and leaned into him and he cradled her head into his chest. She wrapped her arm around him and squeezed him as hard as she could. Just then the nurse brought in a tray with food on it.

"Lunch time." She set the tray on the little bed table, then swung it over so it was above Olivia's bed. Peter looked down at the tray. There was chicken noodle soup, jell-o and a cup of water. It didn't look appetizing, but he watched as Olivia began to eat.

"Hey, Liv, I'm gonna take off to let everyone know that you're ok. I'll be back later tonight, ok?" Olivia smiled, and Peter leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. Before he left, he whispered in her ear. "I really missed you." He smiled at her, then walked out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Olivia was released two weeks later. Rachel and Ella spent the majority of their days in town with Olivia. Olivia didn't tell Ella yet about the pregnancy, since she still wasn't one hundred percent sure what she was going to do. Sometimes Peter would take Ella for the afternoon so Rachel and Olivia could talk, but he desperately missed her; missed being in the same room as her, hearing her voice, smelling her hair. He did have fun with Ella though. He took her to the book store, to the carnival and to the movies. She was so sweet and good, Peter really enjoyed his time with her. Sometimes 'Uncle Walter' tagged along, especially to the carnival, and Ella was beside herself with happiness. He always made her laugh. Rachel and Ella were in town for a week, and three days after they left, Olivia was discharged.

Peter arrived at the hospital to pick her up. It was just after nine in the morning, and he brought her a change of clothes to wear home. When he arrived in her room she was sitting up reading a book. She smiled when he walked in with a duffel bag. Her faced had filled out a bit since she had been in the hospital, but she was still slimmer than normal. He set the bag down on her bed and waited in the hall until she came out. He had chosen a Northwestern t-shirt and jogging sweats for her for two reasons. He knew she would be comfortable, but he also knew that he loved the way she looked in them; very casual and laid back. When she emerged he smiled at her. She had some color back in her cheeks and her bruises were just about gone. The splint on her wrist had been removed, and she looked almost as good as new. He was surprised when she took his hand as they walked down the hall together. Peter carried her duffel on his opposite shoulder and soon they were out to his station wagon.

They pulled out onto the road and drove for a while in silence. Olivia looked out the window, watching cars and people pass by. Peter tried to think of anything to say, but nothing cut it. Finally he turned down Olivia's road, and soon they were in front of her apartment. He got out, then went around to open the door for her, and to grab her bag. They walked into the building, and Peter went into her apartment with her. He put her bag down by the door, but didn't know what to do. He didn't want to leave, but he didn't want to force his company on her. She turned around and looked at him.

"I'm really hungry. Would you mind ordering something in while I take a shower? Maybe we could watch a movie or something." He sighed with relief and smiled. She didn't want to be alone either. He nodded and went over to her phone to look at menus.

"What sounds good? I'm up for anything?" He sifted through the pages.

"There is a Thai place around the block that delivers. That sounds good." Peter nodded and found that menu and perused the pages. Olivia heard him dialing, and headed for the bathroom.

She stayed under the spray until all the hot water was gone. She had it turned up as hot as possible. This was the first chance she had to fully clean herself since she was released by her captors. She could still feel their hands on her, forcing themselves on her when she had no way to fight back. She sank down to the floor of the tub, sobs overcoming her. She sat there in the spray, crying, clutching her stomach. She was thankful that the spray was loud, and she hoped it covered her sobs. Soon the water ran cold, but she couldn't get up, she was to overcome with her own emotions. She knew she must have been in the shower for at least forty minutes.

Peter had ordered food, and once it was delivered, and Olivia was still in the shower, Peter started to get worried. He went to the kitchen sink and turned on the hot water. Putting his hand under it, he felt it was ice cold, and ran to the bathroom. "Olivia! Olivia, are you ok?" He heard no answer but the running shower. He took a breath and opened the door.

The curtain was drawn and the water was running. Peter could tell through the cream colored curtain that Olivia was sitting down. As he drew closer to the tub he could hear her sobbing quietly. He sat down next to the shower curtain and whispered to her.

"Olivia, please talk to me." He listened for her to speak, but all he heard was her continued crying. He reached up and pulled the shower curtain open and the sight he saw made his heart skip a beat.

Olivia was hunched over sitting on the tub floor. Peter reached up quickly and turned the water off. It was running cold, just as he thought. He looked back at Olivia and saw that she had started shivering, and her lips were tinted blue. He quickly got up and grabbed a towel. He put it over her shoulders and more or less lifted her out of the tub. He carried her to her bed and set her down, pulling the towel around her shoulders. He tried to give her as much privacy as he could. He looked around her room and saw a bathrobe sitting on a chair next to her bed. He grabbed it and pulled it around her shoulders too. Then, without thinking, he pulled her to him and began rubbing her arms and back, trying to generate heat to keep her warm.

Olivia hadn't said anything to him, but when he looked down he saw that her eyes were closed, and she was still shaking, but not quite as hard as in the tub. He wrapped his arms around her and just held her for several minutes. He didn't know what to say to comfort her, but he couldn't stand what this was doing to her. After several more minutes Olivia began to move, and she pulled the robe around herself and tied the waist band closed.

"Thank you Peter. I'm sorry." She finally looked up into his eyes and he saw the conflicting feelings there. She was embarrassed and scared and sad and angry and happy all at the same time. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for. Hey, I'm gonna go get the food and be right back, ok?" She nodded and he got up and headed for the kitchen. He turned up the heat in her apartment on his way, hoping that would help warm her up. He grabbed the bag of take-out and some silverware, and just as he turned to head back to her bedroom, she came out. She was wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants and her feet were bare. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, but she was smiling.

"I'd rather eat out here, if that's ok." She walked up to him and he noticed how much shorter she was with no shoes on. He smiled down at her and nodded.

"Of course. We could watch a movie if you want." He carried the food over to the couch and she padded behind him. She sat down and picked up her TV remote. She flipped through the channels while Peter took the food out of the paper bag. He pushed her coffee table away from the couch, and set up the food on it. He sat down on the floor in front of the table, so his back was against the couch. He arranged the different boxes of takeout so Olivia could easily reach all of them, then turned to look at her. She was scrolling through the channels until she came across a movie station. It was playing Star Trek VI. She put the remote down and looked down at Peter.

"Is this ok?" She gave him a half smile. Peter nodded and slid his hands behind her knees and pulled her down on the floor next to him.

"I didn't know you were a trekkie." He smiled and began eating out of a carton that contained mango chicken. He eyed her with amusement.

"I love all the original movies. This one is my favorite." She reached for a carton of noodles and began to pick at them with chopsticks. They watched the movie in silence for a while, passing cartons of food back and forth. After a while Peter got up to go in the kitchen.

"You want anything to drink?" He called back to her as he got himself a glass of water.

"Water. Thanks Peter." Her voice was quiet, but it didn't have the sadness that it did earlier, or at least not as much.

He brought two glasses of water over to the coffee table and sat back down by Olivia. She took the glass, then looked over to the table by the door. She got up and walked over to the table, and opened the prescription bag that sat there. She took a pill out of the bottle, then came back to the coffee table and took it with a large drink of water. Peter eyed her concerned.

"They're prenatal vitamins." She looked down at her stomach. Peter did too, and reached out to put a hand on it. Olivia watched in silence as Peter caressed her stomach, thinking of the unborn child growing within her. "Peter, I'm not asking you what I should do, but what are you thinking?" He looked up into her eyes, and she had a sad, desperate look there.

"Olivia, I can't imagine what you went through while you were gone, and you have no idea how much I wish I could take that away from you. I know your job, and I know how crazy your life it." He paused, and looked up at her face, cupping it in his other hand. She leaned into his touch as he continued. "But I also know how great you are with Ella. I know how much compassion and love you have in your heart. I know you would love that child unconditionally, and I think you would make a wonderful mother." She smiled at him, tears welling up in her eyes. "And I know that whatever you choose will be right for you, and the baby. I trust your judgment more than anyone else's. You'll make the right decision."

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. He reached around to put his arm around her, keeping his hand on her stomach. She leaned over against him, and they watched the rest of the movie in silence. He leaned his cheek on the top of her head, and after a while he felt her breathing slow and even, and he knew she was asleep. He reached up and turned the light on the end table off, then reached down and scooped Olivia up in his arms. He carried her to her bedroom, and lay her on one side. He pulled the blankets back and tucked her under them. She stayed sleeping, and rolled over on her side under the blankets. He went back to the living room and put the left over take out in the refrigerator, and turned the TV off. He turned the heat back down in the apartment, then went back to the couch. He found an extra pillow and blanket in the closet, and laid them out on the couch. He lay down and soon was asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Peter woke early, the sun was just barely rising, but he felt wide awake. He got up and walked over to Olivia's room. He peeked in and saw her sleeping peacefully. He slipped quietly into the bathroom to take a shower.

He came out and looked in on Olivia again. She was still sleeping, though she had turned over on her side. He watched her for a moment, then went into the kitchen. He'd never perused her cupboards that much, but he found coffee and coffee filters, and soon was brewing a Hawaiian blend. He just poured himself some when Olivia padded out into the kitchen. Her eyes were still sleepy, but she smiled and her eyes looked more alive than they had yesterday.

"Good morning Peter. I didn't know you stayed. You didn't have to." She poured herself a cup of coffee and took a sip. "Mmm, this is my favorite."

"It was late. I just wanted to make sure you were settled ok." He took another sip of coffee, then put his mug down. "I thought if you wanted, I'd drive you to your doctor's appointment today." He eyed her carefully, trying to gauge her reaction. She smiled at him.

"That would be nice, thanks Peter." She walked over to the couch and flipped on the news, then sat down on the couch.

Peter found some bagels in her bread box, and took out two and toasted them. While they cooked he looked in her fridge for anything to put on them. He found cream cheese and blackberry jam. He spread the cheese on one, and the jam on the other. He walked into the living room and sat down next to Olivia. He held the plate up to her, and she took a bagel with jam on it, so he started eating the one with cream cheese. They watched the rest of the morning news in silence, eating breakfast and sipping coffee.

When Olivia was finished she got up and took her plate, and Peter's too, and walked them back into the kitchen. Peter turned to see her, and she stopped just past the kitchen counter. "I'm going to take a quick shower." Peter showed immediate concern, but Olivia smiled. "I'll be ok. I'll be out in ten minutes." She gave Peter a smile, then headed into the bathroom.

She was out in just under fifteen minutes, and was dressed in a loose fitting t-shirt and jeans. Her hair was in a braid down her back. She looked so beautiful to Peter, in her simplicity. No makeup; no need for it. She pulled on socks and sneakers. Peter headed for the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, pausing in the bathroom briefly, smelling the scent of her shampoo lingering in the air. It smelled of limes and coconut. He'd never smelled it on her before, but here in the bathroom, fresh after a shower, it was strong. It was intoxicating, and he took it in. He finally headed back out, and out into the living room. Olivia was waiting, staring off into space, obviously deep in thought.

The drive to the doctor's office was quick. It was just into the city, about fifteen minutes away from Olivia's house. Other than her giving Peter directions, the two remained relatively silent. Once at the office they walked together inside.

Peter went to sit in the waiting area while Olivia went to register at the nurse's desk. He felt immediately felt uncomfortable. The waiting room was filled with happy couples sitting and reading baby magazines. There were five other women here, in varying stages of pregnancy. One woman looked like she was overdue, her hands resting on her huge stomach. Two of them looked about halfway through their pregnancies, and two didn't look pregnant at all, like Olivia. Peter sat quietly, eyeing everyone else in the room, then his eyes fell to Olivia. She was talking to one of the nurses, and filling out paperwork. Finally she got up and walked over to where Peter sat, and sat down next to him.

"This is so surreal to me." Olivia looked over at Peter, an odd look on her face. "I never in my wildest dreams pictured myself sitting next to you in a gynecologist's office." She chuckled to herself. "I'm sorry Peter. You don't have to be in here. You can wait in the car if you want. This has to be so awkward for you."

Peter took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Hey, what are friends for?" He smiled, then let go of her hand. His felt oddly cold when he let go. He remained silent watching the other people in the room. After a few minutes Olivia picked up a parenting magazine and began to flip through it. Peter watched over her shoulder as she perused the articles.

"I'm in way over my head here. I don't even know what any of this is." Her brow furrowed as she looked at ads for formula and diapers.

"It'll be ok Liv. Just take it one step at a time." She was about to speak again when a nurse came out and called her name. She got up, then turned to Peter.

"I'll be back." He smiled, and she greeted the nurse and followed her into the room. Now all Peter had to do was wait.

Olivia was inside for about thirty minutes. The time went by relatively fast, and when she came out, she had a folder of papers, and a smile on her face. He stood up to meet her, and her smile widened. "I'll show you all of this in the car." Peter nodded and they headed back outside.

Once in the car, Olivia opened the folder and handed him an ultrasound photo. In just several weeks the difference in the baby was amazing. The picture was a profile of the child, and Peter couldn't believe all of what he could see. He could see the baby's tiny little nose, and one hand up, as if waving at him. Olivia was very excited, and pointed it out, though it was obvious. "See its hand, here? It's waving. And the doctor said I can come back in a month and find out if it's a boy or a girl. He gave me a new prescription for vitamins, so do you mind driving to the pharmacy so I can pick them up? And see the baby, it's yawning. Do you see it?" She looked up at him, her eyes bright.

Peter's smile widened tremendously. "Yeah, I see it. It's amazing."

"I'm keeping it. I can't not keep it. I can't feel it moving, but I know it's there, depending on me, and I can't imagine not keeping it." Her eyes welled up with tears, but she continued to smile. "Peter, I'm going to be a mom." A tear spilled out of her left eye, and Peter reached up to wipe it away. She leaned into his touch, and closed her eyes. "I'm going to be a mom." More tears started to fall, and before he knew it, he was hugging her tight while she cried into his shoulder. He didn't know what to say, but he held her to him, rubbing her back with his fingertips.

She finally got hold of herself, and sat up and took the picture back. "Can we go show Walter and Astrid? After we go to the pharmacy?"

"Of course." Peter finally turned the car on and pulled out of the doctor's office parking lot. The trip to the pharmacy was fast; the doctor had already called in her prescription, so they went through the drive-thru, then headed towards Harvard's campus.

It was a Thursday, but Olivia was off work until the following Monday. Walter and Astrid were doing follow-up experiments on a case that Broyles had given them while Olivia was in the hospital. It was an open and closed case, but several aspects fascinated Walter. Peter had talked to him briefly last night, and he had mentioned trying to grow a super, glow in the dark fungus, so Peter thought it would be a good idea to check in on them.

The campus parking lot was full of student's cars, but they found a spot relatively close to the Kresge building. Peter got out, and went around to open the door for Olivia. He realized then that it was the first time he'd ever done that, and wondered what the change was…she was fully capable of opening her own door, but something drove him to do it. She smiled at him, and put the picture of her baby in the pocket of her jeans. They walked together up the stairs and into the building.

When they got to the lab, Peter went in first, and held the door open for Olivia. At the sound of the door opening, both Astrid and Walter walked hurriedly towards them. Astrid drew Olivia into a warm embrace, and squeezed her tight. Walter stepped up and took Olivia's face between his hands, his bottom lip quivering. "It's good to see you up and about Agent Dunham. How are you feeling?" Olivia smiled.

"I'm doing better, thanks Walter. I actually brought something for you and Astrid to see." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the ultrasound picture. Astrid's face spread into a smile, and Walter's eyes got misty. That threw Peter for a loop. Astrid eyed the photo, then Olivia, then Peter. Walter looked at the photo, and raised his right hand, waving back to the picture.

"Olivia, do you know if it's a boy or a girl? Or are you not going to find out?" Astrid asked, then a sad look came over her face, as if she thought she had asked too much.

"I'll find out in another month. I'll have to start shopping for clothes." She smiled, taking the picture back.

"So, you're going to keep it?" Astrid finally asked the question that both she and Walter were wondering.

"Yes, I am." Olivia just smiled. Astrid and Walter broke into smiles too, giving their congratulations. Peter watched Olivia's face, and although he saw happiness there, he saw a mix of other emotions as well. She was scared, and still hurting, still healing from what had been done to her. They chatted for several more minutes, but Peter could tell that Olivia was getting worn out. Finally he stepped up and broke into the conversation.

"Well, Olivia and I haven't had lunch yet, so we're going to take off. I'll be back later Walter." Olivia said goodbye to both, then followed Peter out of the lab.

"Thanks Peter. I really could use food, and a nap I think." They headed back out to the car, and left campus.


	4. Chapter 4

The next few weeks passed without incident. Olivia returned to work, and was able to perform most of her duties. Whenever force was required in a situation however, she remained behind. Every day she saw a councilor after work, and many evenings Peter and Olivia would eat dinner together. Mostly she came over to Peter and Walter's house, but occasionally Peter would go to Olivia's apartment. Most times when they would eat there, Olivia seemed a little more uncomfortable. She seemed to enjoy the company of Peter and Walter together, and very much enjoyed Walter's cooking. They would sit up late telling stories and laughing together. Finally Walter would go to bed, and then Olivia would go home soon after. Peter wondered why, but figured as long as she was happy and healthy, that was enough.

Finally the day came for her doctor's appointment.

Peter had offered to drive her, and once again she accepted. They headed in and Peter sat down while Olivia checked in. Her appointment was the first one of the day, so before long, a nurse called her name. Olivia stood up, then turned to Peter. "Peter, do you want to come in with me?" She immediately regretted asking, worrying if that was putting too much pressure on her friend. She was relieved, then, to see a smile spread across his face.

"Of course." He stood and took her hand and together they followed the nurse to the exam room.

Olivia sat up on the examining table, and Peter stood next to her. It felt odd, but comfortable at the same time. He rested his hand above her head on the head rest and the nurse turned the ultrasound machine on, took Olivia's vitals, then made some notes in her chart.

Peter watched the nurse. She glanced at the ultrasound machine for a moment, then took more notes while it came on. Finally she looked up with a smile on her face. "Alright, I have everything I need. Your pressure and pulse are great. Temperature is normal. Sit tight and the ultrasound tech will be in in just a few minutes." She smiled again, then left the room.

Peter glanced around the exam room. The walls were a soft eggshell blue, and the floor a grey laminate. It was very sterile and very uninviting. The only warmth in the room radiated from the woman that sat next to him. She was staring at the screen on the ultrasound machine. He could tell she was lost in thought, and he let her mind wander. She jumped when there was a knock at the door. A young man in a white lab coat came in, also with a smile on his face. He looked to be about 23. He wore glasses over his vivid green eyes. His dark blonde hair was short and spikey, and he held Olivia's chart in his hand.

"Good morning Olivia. How are you doing today?" He sat at the computer and typed several things.

"I'm feeling fine. A little more tired than normal, but other than that, ok." She began to fidget with her hands, and Peter could tell that she was nervous. He reached down and took her hand. He felt her squeeze it, then the tech came over to her with the bottle of gel.

"Alright Olivia, you know the drill." Olivia lifted up her t-shirt up to her chest and he squeezed a large blog of the clear gel onto her stomach. Peter took a moment to look at her. He hadn't seen her stomach since that night at her apartment, but he was amazed at how much the baby had grown. It had been a month, but he could definitely see a baby bump. It was easily hidden under her clothing, but now, face to face, it was easy to see that she was pregnant.

The tech began to probe her stomach and immediately the screen came to life. The first thing Peter saw was a little foot on the screen. His face broke out in a grin. The tech began talking. "Here's the right foot…and…" he moved the probe around "come on little stinker…ah, there's the left." He spun the wand to the other side of Olivia's stomach, and right away the baby's face was on the screen. Peter glanced away from the screen to look at Olivia's face. Her eyes were full of wonder as she watched her child on the screen. The tech moved the wand again, pushing lightly on her stomach, and the baby turned to the face was in profile. "There's the little nose." He did some typing with one hand on the ultrasound machine. "Alright, mommy, do you want to know the sex?" Olivia looked at him and nodded, a nervous smile breaking out on her face. Peter hadn't even thought about it. He knew she was going to find out today, but his thoughts had been on her for so long, he hadn't given much thought to what the baby was.

The tech moved the wand around a bit more in silence. Olivia and Peter watched as the baby moved around on the screen. Peter glanced from the screen to the young man, then back. Finally the tech looked at Olivia with a smile on his face. "It's a girl."

That did it. Tears spilled out of Olivia's eyes, and Peter felt his own eyes grow moist. He didn't realize this would have such an effect on him. He gave Olivia's hand a squeeze and she looked up at him with such pride on her face, his heart skipped a beat.

"Alright, Olivia. Everything looks good so far. I'll print you out some pictures of your little princess, and I'll have the receptionist make an appointment for you for a month, ok? That will be with me, as well as your OB." Olivia nodded and watched the frozen image on the screen while the tech wiped the majority of the ultrasound gel off her stomach. He handed her a small clean towel so she could finish, then left the room.

Olivia situated her shirt, and stood up. Just as she did the tech came back in. "Here are your pictures. Just follow the hall around to the left and see the nurse at check out." He smiled again and left.

Olivia took the small envelope and took the photos out. She sifted through them and Peter looked over her shoulder. There were five pictures. One of the baby's face, straight on, two profile pictures from different angles, one of her feet together. Peter smiled at the ten tiny little toes all lined up. The last picture, which he hadn't seen when they were doing the ultrasound, was of the baby sucking her thumb. Peter's chest tightened, and Olivia paused at that picture, looking at it for a long time. They seemed frozen in time for a moment, but finally Olivia slid the pictures back into the envelope and they headed out to the receptionist. Olivia made an appointment and she and Peter walked out to his station wagon.


	5. Chapter 5

The next four weeks went by very quickly. Olivia spent a lot of time perusing websites for baby furniture. Walter bought the book "What to Expect When You're Expecting," and Olivia read it cover to cover the first night. She admitted to Peter that it was full of information she had never known before, and was glad to know ahead of time. Astrid knit her a beautiful pink and white baby blanket, and a matching pair of booties.

Olivia still spent many evenings at Peter and Walter's house, eating dinner and watching old movies. Lately however, work had kept her at the Federal Building late. She had been temporarily reassigned from Fringe Division to intel, and spent the majority of her days doing paperwork, background checks and profiling. She didn't mind, since she was good at it, but she missed the excitement and constant change of Fringe Division. Her current work also kept her away from their Harvard lab. That saddened her most of all. As tiring as Walter could be, and as hard headed as Peter could be, she didn't realize how much she'd grown fond of her job. She tried to get over there for lunch occasionally, but rarely had the chance. This made her even more excited when she got out of work on time to head over to the Bishop house for dinner.

It was Friday night at seven when Olivia pulled up in front of Peter and Walter's house. She got out of her truck and was halfway up to the house when it happened. A pain like she had never felt before in her life tore through her stomach. It surged through her body with such force that it brought her to her knees.

She clutched at her stomach and felt the baby stirring furiously. She didn't have time to breath before she collapsed on the walkway.

Peter had the table set for two, glad to finally be able to spend an evening alone with Olivia. Astrid had taken Walter to the movies, so it was the perfect opportunity for them to talk. Peter had been thinking about Olivia very differently lately. It started before she was abducted, but it had heightened considerably since she'd been back. She was no longer just a friend and work colleague. She was something more. He had a feeling that she felt the same, but was glad for the opportunity to finally talk about it. He knew she would be surprised that they were dining alone, but he was hoping that it was a good thing. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was 7:15…not like her to be late, especially to dinner. Peter chuckled to himself as he thought of his partner. Since she had become pregnant she had gained a ravenous appetite. He had made generous portions of spaghetti, garlic sauce and garlic bread. He poured two glasses of water, then glanced at the clock again. That's when he saw it.

He glanced out the window and saw Olivia's truck parked outside. He scanned the yard and that's when he saw her. She was lying on the ground on her side, curled up in the fetal position. He could see a look of sheer agony on her face. His heart skipped a beat as he grabbed for his cell phone and ran outside. Once the ambulance was called he pulled Olivia up so she was leaning against him.

"Peter…it hurts." She groaned, her breath caught in her throat. She grimaced, clutching her stomach. "Something's wrong." There was an edge in her voice and he knew she was panicking.

"Just breath, Olivia. It'll be ok. The ambulance is on its way." He cradled her to his chest, running his hands over her hair. He felt her clutch at him, finally grabbing a handful of his t-shirt in her fist. He didn't know what to say or do. Panic surged through him, and his heart beat faster as he heard sirens in the distance. "Here they come. It's going to be ok." He kissed the top of her head, brushing her hair out of her face. He could feel that she had a fever, and she was beginning to sweat.

The ambulance pulled up and they hurriedly got Olivia on the gurney and into the back. Peter climbed in behind her and the first responder started asking him questions. He was glad that he knew all the answers.

"She's 21 weeks along. No drug allergies. No health conditions." They had put an oxygen mask on her so she wasn't able to talk, and she was barely conscious by the time they got to the hospital. When she was wheeled into emergency, Peter was forced to wait outside until they could examine her.

He paced, he realized, like an anxious father. The waiting area was fairly deserted, for which Peter was glad. He felt silly at his anxiousness, but couldn't help it. The woman he loved was in pain, and possible danger, and there was nothing he could do about it. He froze in his spot. _The woman he loved._ It was the first time he'd admitted it to himself. The thought made him smile briefly, but then it just made him worry more. Olivia had only been in the exam room for fifteen minutes, but it felt like a lifetime.

Finally a doctor came through the ER doors and into the lobby. "Mr. Bishop?" Peter walked over quickly without running into the doctor.

"How is she?"

"Well, we did an ultrasound. The baby is fine, but the placenta partially detached. That's the pain Miss Dunham felt. She's alright. We gave her a muscle relaxer and something for the pain. We're going to admit her overnight to make sure the placenta doesn't detach further, but if everything remains as it is, she can go home in the morning." Peter took this in and nodded.

"The only thing is that with placental detachment, we recommend semi bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy." The doctor turned and motioned that Peter should follow him to see Olivia. "She can do normal day to day activities, but she'll have to stop going to work." Peter nodded. "The muscle relaxers will make her tired for the next couple days, and she should take it easy for the rest of the weekend. I've told her all this, but the medication she's on can make her memory kind of foggy. Here she is." The doctor pulled the curtain back and Peter walked in to see Olivia.

She lay on the bed in her street clothes; her tank top was pushed up so the nurse could finish the ultrasound. She had an IV in her left hand and a glossy look in her eyes. Peter went and stood next to her. "Hey Liv, how ya feeling?"

"Ugh, tired, and sore, but better." She glanced at the picture of her baby on the screen, then back to Peter. "I feel sick." The nurse glanced over.

"It's from all the medication. I'll head over to the cafeteria and grab something for you." Olivia smiled.

"Thank you." She closed her eyes and swallowed, then glanced back at Peter. "You certainly don't have to stay Peter. I'm sure Walter and Astrid will be done at the movies soon, and they'll wonder what's going on if you're not there." Peter began to protest, but Olivia cut him off.

"Go home, get some rest. I'm fine." She subconsciously rubbed her stomach. Peter reached down and covered her hand with his. He felt a shiver run through her hand, but dismissed it.

"Alright. But I'll come get you in the morning ok?" Olivia nodded, and before Peter realized what he was doing, he leaned down and brushed a chaste kiss on her lips. He was amazed at how warm and soft they were beneath his own. He pulled back quickly, then brushed his knuckled on her cheek. "I'll see you in the morning." Olivia nodded, a mix of emotions on her face. She managed a smile that Peter just saw before he turned and left the room.

Peter didn't leave right away. He wanted to find that doctor again. He had several more questions to ask…


	6. Chapter 6

Peter brought Olivia to his house when she was discharged. He had made up the spare room for her. She put up a small argument, but it was actually Walter's idea. He didn't like the thought of Olivia by herself in her apartment. Peter took Astrid to Olivia's apartment and asked her to pack some things. Peter felt wrong rifling through Olivia's clothes and personal items, but Astrid agreed. Peter waited in the kitchen while Astrid packed and soon they were headed back to Peter's house. Olivia and Walter were playing Scrabble in Olivia's room. Peter set her suitcase down, then Astrid and Walter headed downstairs to make lunch. Peter sat down and took over his father's letters. It was Olivia's turn and Peter gave himself a moment to watch her.

She wore her hair down, and she had her glasses on. She wore her Northwestern t-shirt and sweatpants slung low on her hips to allow for her growing stomach. Her feet were bare and he noticed that her toenails were painted pink. That made him smile. She finally spelled out 'miracle' then took some more letters.

"Good one." He looked down at his own letters. "Wow, Walter must not understand the point of this game. I have all the x's and w's and no vowels." He glanced at his letters again, then looked up at Olivia. "Wanna watch a movie or something?"

"That sounds good. I'm pretty tired actually. It would be nice to not have to think for a while. I think it's these muscle relaxers." She leaned forward and rubbed her neck. Peter moved the game to the foot of the bed and sat behind her.

"Here, move forward." She complied, then froze when she felt Peter's hands on her neck, using his thumbs to kneed her sore muscles.

He rubbed the pads of his thumbs up into her hair, to the base of her scalp, then back down to the edge of the neck of her t-shirt. "Peter you don't have to do that." He could hear nervousness in Olivia's voice, and also something that he couldn't recognize.

"I know that. I want to." He slowly felt Olivia relax and she leaned forward a bit. Peter began to run his hands up and down her back. Before he could stop himself, he moved her hair aside and whispered a kiss at the base of her neck. He heard Olivia suck in a breath as she froze again. When she didn't pull away he grew bold and kissed her again, this time on the ear. He felt her shudder and he knew that it was from pleasure. This emboldened him even more. He reached to pull Olivia's chin towards him and was amazed when she spun and grabbed Peter's cheek and kissed him, flush on the mouth. Her lips formed perfectly over his, and he marveled in the feeling. His blood went shooting through his veins, and when Olivia moaned softly, he was lost. Finally he pulled back to look down at her. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes dark with desire and her lips were slightly swollen. He had never seen her look more beautiful. She couldn't immediately meet his eyes. "Olivia…"

"Peter I've wanted to do that for so long." He slipped a finger under her chin to bring her eyes to meet his.

"Olivia, you don't know how long I've wanted to kiss you…" She didn't let him finish his sentence as she leaned in again, twisting her body around so she didn't have to stretch so far and pressed her lips to his again. Both of his hands came up into her hair, gripping lightly and he heard her moan. His groin was starting to stir, so he tried to slow down. Olivia ran her tongue along his lower lip and Peter pulled back. Olivia looked as if she'd done something wrong, so Peter quickly spoke.

"Liv, you are amazing. If I don't stop now, I won't be able to, and I don't want to hurt you or the baby." Olivia smiled at that, and leaned her forehead into Peter's.

"I know…me too." She looked up and smiled, and it warmed Peter's heart. He smiled back and kissed the end of her nose. She was about to speak, and then she jumped and a small cringe spread across her face.

"Liv, what is it? Are you ok?" Peter was worried that he had let things go too far, though they had just kissed.

"I'm fine." She turned so she could lean her back into his chest, and took hold of Peter's hand. "The baby is moving a lot. She feels like she's doing cartwheels." She pressed Peter's hand into the right side of her stomach. She could tell that he was holding his breath, and it made her chuckle. And her chuckling made the baby move. She felt the baby move under hers and Peter's hands. "Did you feel that?"

Peter's face showed concern. "I can't feel anything. What does it feel like to you?"

Olivia got a perplexed look on her face. "I don't know how to describe it. Sometimes it feels like bubbles. Other times it feels like I'm in the movie Alien and something is going to burst out of me. And I'm only eighteen weeks along. I can't imagine what it will be like in another few months." Peter reached his other hand around so he had both pressed firmly against each side of her stomach. He tried again to feel the baby move, but couldn't make out anything. Olivia held very still, as if trying to will Peter to feel the movement of her growing daughter.

"I'll feel it sooner or later. I'm just glad that you can…it's really great." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "And you're really great too." He kissed her again, and Olivia turned to meet his lips briefly with hers. She then stood up and turned and held a hand out to Peter. He took it and stood up. She pressed herself against him with a fierce kiss this time. His arms came around her and just as he began to respond she pulled back, a devilish smile on her face.

"Just giving you something to look forward to." She started to walk towards the bedroom door. Peter watched her hips sway as she walked, her sweatpants slung low on her waist. She turned back to him. "I'm starving…how about you?" He nodded and followed her down to the kitchen where Walter and Astrid were finishing up lunch.

The next few weeks passed torturously slow for Olivia. Her lack of things to do were really starting to grate on her nerves. She hated feeling useless, and hated even more being left alone in the Bishop house. She was able to do a lot of reading, and a lot of crossword puzzles. She was reading the newspaper one day when she heard the front door open. It was just past noon, way too early for Peter and Walter to be home. She turned to see not only Peter, but Walter and Astrid _and _Broyles carrying file boxes. She felt odd in her blue tank top and jeans, when Broyles was wearing a suit and tie. Heck she was even barefoot. "What's going on guys?" Walter set his box down and shuffled off to his room, looking for something.

"Well," it was Peter who spoke, "we figured since you can't come to work, we're bringing work to you." He set several file boxes down next to the couch and Broyles followed suit. He set his load down then turned to Olivia.

"How are you feeling Dunham?" He glanced down at her growing stomach then back to her face. She blushed slightly.

"Pretty good. Tired a lot lately, but other than that, not bad. These guys are taking good care of me." Olivia was shocked when Broyles leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Well I have to get back to the Federal Building. You take care of yourself. I'll be in touch." He smiled and turned to leave.

"Thank you sir, I will." She walked him to the door and closed it behind him, then turned back to Peter and Astrid. "You guys are the best." She walked back to the couch and sat down Indian-style. "What did you bring over?"

Astrid went down the hall to find Walter and Peter came to sit next to Olivia. "It's mostly busy work, but it's profiling, so I knew you'd be interested." She turned to face Peter.

"Peter, I don't know what to say." She leaned in to kiss him. He responded easily. They had grown very familiar with each other like this over the last several weeks. They never went farther, but stole many kisses when no one was looking. Olivia pulled back and smiled. "Thank you so much Peter." He nodded and together they began pouring over case files.


End file.
